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I wish you much luck, presence of mind and good physical shape for Saturday!

But...I have a question:
What is "ushiro ukemi - backwards breakfall"?????
In our dojo, ushiro ukemi is just back roll, and near to no one is able to do a backwards breakfall (would be called ushiro otoshi). I once saw a guy in a seminar doing it, but it is certainly not required of 5th kyus. I asked one of the guys who is doing very, very brilliant tobu ukemi (forward breakfall; mae ukemi in our dojo is again only a forward roll) to teach me that one, and he replied he couldn't.

How are you doing them? I'm still unconfortable about violent backwards falls, especially if someone sweeps your legs away.

Thanks a lot in advance for enlightening!!!

Best regards,

Eva

If 5th kyus don't need to be able to fall well, there is something wrong with the system IMO. Learning how to fall is still hugely underrated in aikido, whereas in judo you would never get a yellow belt if your breakfalls were bad. If we trained our breakfalls better in aikido, people wouldn't be as afraid of koshinage anymore as they generally are now, because really, koshinage is still soft compared to basic judo throws.

The best way to learn "hard" ukemi, is to have someone perform leg sweeps on you a few times, or just throw you harder, so you don't have a choice. After a while, when your technique is sharpened, you'll even find it fun to do There's really nothing more fun than being repeatedly thrown to each side of the mat for a few minutes.

I always tell my friends (and myself) when we are preparing for a test: Don´t try to look better than you really are.

Godd test!!

Bruno

Sadly, I've seen three very adept aikidoka failed because they were arrogant. Just be respectful to everyone involved, answer questions straightforwardly (no matter how simple! No smirking and eye rolling!) and take the prodeedings seriously, and you'll do fine.

On the other side of the coin, there are some folks that failed because they didn't have the technical ability or didn't know the material well enough. While they failed the test, they earned the respect of their peers (and their sensei) because they didn't quit, no matter how much they were struggling.

Those uke that give you a bit of a hard time are the ones that are showing Sensei what you're really made of. If your sensei is anything like mine, he WANTS to see how you act under stress.

Best of luck to you.

"The only difference between Congress and drunken sailors is that drunken sailors spend their own money." -Tom Feeney, representative from Florida

I think you will do fine. I felt the same way before my first test. I also had to rush to class the night of my test (sensei knew my husband and I would be late). Class had already begun and all I had time to do was stretch before testing. I felt like I didn't have enough time to warm up and relax, but in the end, I think it was for the best. It didn't give me more time to think about it. I was a bit nervous when he had us line up and our uke came behind us. I think after the first technique was called, I forgot that I was being graded. I forgot about all the other students who were testing. I forgot about those students who were sitting and watching me test. In the end, I could see that I made a mountain out of a mole hill. At this point, they are more looking at the principals. Are you maintaining your center, are you sinking, do you know the basic movements, etc. They are not looking for perfect technique at this point. Take it easy, relax, get a good nights rest, some good food a bit before you go to class Saturday... and knock em dead.

~Look into the eyes of your opponent & steal his spirit.
~To be a good martial artist is to be good thief; if you want my knowledge, you must take it from me.

Try to think positively. Just imagine yourself taking your test and feeling confident. Try to relax and take a deep breath. Stiffness is your opponent. At least the run through gave you some idea of some things you might want to pay attention to when taking your test. It would be worse to do fantastic in the run through and then not to be able to live up to it during the test. Think that the test is your opportunity to show people how much you have learned. I'm sure your Sensei will be hoping your test is a positive experience for you. Testing is more like being in a stressful, battle situation so you can see how you would do in such a situation. It will be good for you to be able to look back and see how far you've come the next time you test. Good luck!

It is simply another form of keiko, or valuable training, providing indispensable clues as to what needs further research and work,

The testing of a student can be a daunting experience, giving one pause as a truly stressful encounter with one's fears and misgivings.

It is also important to realize that the student's own instructors are also being tested, to see how well they strove to prepare said student. And no less culpable is the Head Instructor, whose accountability encompasses all within the dojo structure.

Relax, move with fluid confidence in your own innate capacity to share the moment with comrades, and enjoy, seizing the day!

You may not be at your "best", but you can certainly do your best!

Such an effort will always be sufficient, and rewarding, regardless of outcome.

I'm glad her test went well. Isn't that how it generally goes--we beginners get super nervous before, and somehow we end up doing well?

I'm testing for 5th kyu in two weeks, and part of me wants to get it over with so I won't have a buildup of anxiety. I seem to get really nervous for practice tests, and I go through a period of self-critiques that will mess with my head if I'm not careful. Last week I had a surprise practice test after class, where my confidence had been shaken by my inability to affect uke's center for kotegaishi. (It's a long story, but uke was new, and I'm still very inexperienced with dealing with that kind of issue.) I carried that into the practice test. Despite having a different uke, I had to work hard to push that mental block aside, and it showed. Other than that, I was told I did well. I'm doing mindfulness exercises and meditation when I'm not on the mat to cultivate the ability to be and act in the present and not dwell on past mistakes.

Yup we all go through it. I just took and passed my 5thy kyu a few weeks ago so I feel your pain. lol and the uke who jumped up for me first was the one guy in the dojo that I have the most difficulty throwing. It all went just fine though. No doubt you will do well too.